Politicians Warned About Dangers Presented by Reagan Airport Months Before American Airlines Crash

Mar. 15, 2025

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.Photo:DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty

The aircraft was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, according to a statement from American Airlines. The flight had departed from Wichita, Kansas.CNNreported that the military helicopter had three soldiers onboard, bringing the total number of potential casualties to 67.

Last year, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia joined U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland in opposing the expansion of flights at the airport, calling the measure a “reckless decision” that was “gambling” with “safety.”

The politicians began to push back before the passage of the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024, according toThe Wichita Eagle.

Emergency responders search the waters of the Potomac River following the collision on Jan. 29.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty

They filed an amendment to exclude the addition of the flights, per the outlet, but the bill was passed in May 2024, according to apress releasefrom the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Sen. Tim Kaine.Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty

Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty

“God forbid waking up and looking in a mirror one day and say, ‘Wow, I was warned. I was warned and I shouldn’t have done this,’ " he told reporters last year, according toNewsweek.

“You’re going to do it to convenience a few dozen members [of Congress] … at the expense of everybody who lives around this airport who would potentially be victimized if there was some kind of a collision,” Kaine continued.

“You’re also increasing a safety risk because when you have one plane taking off or landing every minute, while other planes are circling, especially in very constricted air space, like DC’s airspace, you run the risk of serious challenge,” Kaine added. “When you hear an air traffic controller having to shout ‘stop, stop’ to get two jets trying to use this main runway to stop within 300 feet of each other. This is a flashing, red warning sign telling everyone that this airport is already overburdened and you shouldn’t do more.”

Rescue crews search the Potomac River.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty

In late May 2024, the same month the bill was passed, Kaine also commented on two planes nearly colliding at the airport on social media, according toThe Wichita Star.

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“This incident underscores again that DCA is at capacity,” Kaine wrote in apost on X. “This shows why Senate action to jam even more flights into DCA was so dangerous. The FAA must resist any new flights that compromise safety.”

Laurie Garrow, an aviation expert at Georgia Tech University, tells PEOPLE that Reagan National is “a very difficult airport to fly into and get out of.”

“So it’s very common that aircraft are going on the Potomac, but that probably also creates more congestion and things to manage, particularly if you’re mixing commercial and military operations.”

According toNewsweek, the main runway at Reagan National is the busiest in the country and handles 90 percent of the airport’s flights.

source: people.com